


Uh-Oh

by PawneeWafflesBen



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 16:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PawneeWafflesBen/pseuds/PawneeWafflesBen
Summary: After April and Andy's fancy-dinner-party-turned-wedding Leslie wakes up with an awful hangover in a bed that is most definitely not her own.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is set S3E9 a what if/canon divergence type thing! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! Feedback is always wonderful, and if you want follow me on tumblr at pawneewafflesben :)

"You should stay." 

Leslie didn't really hear the rest of what she said after that, she was more or less babbling. Hoping Ben would take the hint as she smiled at him. 

"I took the job." And Ben says it with that slightly smug smirk, but it softens into something else. Leslie's about 97.6% sure he's smiled at her like that before, it makes her stomach flip flop. She's pretty sure she could smile at Ben like that for the rest of the night, but then Orin interrupts by standing there like a creep. So Leslie is dragging Ben across the room yelling at him to "hurry up!" Between fits of giggles. 

And then they're standing in front of each other, so close that if Leslie just tilted her head up ever so slightly she could get her lips to brush against his. So close that when Ben says he's going to get another beer and would she like anything she can feel his breath and it sends shivers down her spine. Close enough for her to see the blush grow on his face when she says yes, but her eyes continuously flick forwards his lips. 

Close. 

But not close enough. 

~~~~~~

They have a lot to drink that night. April and Andy encouraging everyone to "go crazy," even though Ben is pretty sure it's because she wants to make fun of everyone acting insane when drunk. 

But Ben happily obliged to their encouragement. He just accepted a job in a city that he had grown to lo-care deeply for, and he was spending the evening with a woman from said city who he had grown to lo-care very deeply for.   
So they celebrated the best way they knew how. 

Friends and booze. 

By the time April and Andy were all but shoving the guests out of the house Ben and Leslie were practically wasted. Ben somehow managed to pull himself together and call a cab, insisting that he and Leslie share since Pawnee Super Suites is really close to her house.   
Leslie just nods, while trying to stop herself from tumbling over. 

In the cab Leslie keeps smiling and cackling at whatever Ben says. She's got her hands wrapped around his arm afraid of losing her balance even though they're sitting in a car. But Ben doesn't mind, he gazes down at Leslie's sparkling eyes with that lopsided grin. 

He really wants to kiss her. 

But even in his intoxicated state he knows better, so Ben settled for smiling and bumping Leslie's shoulder with his every once in a while. 

~~~~~~

When the cab stood outside Pawnee Super Suites Leslie runs out of the car and to the nearest bush. Vomiting about half of the alcohol she had consumed. 

"I- I don't feel so delicious." Leslie groaned, staring at the plant with a scowl. "I think," Leslie wobbled and wrapped her arms around her stomach, "I think I need to lay down and throw up." She's pretty sure she heard Ben say something about her house being just around the corner but Leslie ignores him and curls up on the parking lot pavement.   
"I'll just, I'll just sleep here ya know? Sleep and street it's like same thing." 

Ben wrapped Leslie in his arms and carried her into his room, setting her down gently on the bed. 

She fell asleep within seconds. Ben tossed a pillow on the ground, sleep tugging at his eyelids, but he paused and smiled softly in the direction of the sleeping blonde on his bed. 

Definitely the best reason to stay in Pawnee. 

~~~~~~

Leslie knew she wasn't in her house before she even opened her eyes. She had reached across the bed to see where she left off on her "Idea Binder: Volume 27" before having breakfast, but as her hand roamed across the comforter she felt nothing. 

No binder.   
No paper.   
Nothing. 

Leslie shot up, nearly falling out of a bed that was not hers into a floor that was definitely not hers. Eyes wide with sudden panic and confusion. She hardly remembered anything from last night. Ignoring the pounding headache Leslie tried to take in her surroundings and think. 

"April and Andy got married." She mumbled to herself, face scrunched up in concentration.   
"They didn't call it off and I had a fun time at the party. There was alcohol." Then things started to get fuzzy. She couldn't imagine that she actually went home with someone last night. There was no one there that she wanted to do anything like that with, well except maybe- uh-oh."Oh my god, Ben!"

Leslie didn't realize she had practically screamed his name until she saw Ben fumbling to gain his balance from the floor.   
"What? Yeah? Ben? Me, here-uh... Hi." Ben rubbed his eyes and tried to focus. Leslie felt her cheeks grow warm and her stomach flip flop. He was cute in the morning, hair a mess sticking up in every which way and eyes barely able to remain open. 

Leslie opened her mouth to say something, but it immediately snapped shut when she felt the pounding in her head return with a vengeance. "I'm dying... I'm dying and I'm dead I can't feel my body except my brain murdering me," Leslie barely managed to get the sentence out without falling back onto the bed in pain. Ben grimaced at the mention of their obvious hangover and pressed the palms of his hands to his temple, "I'm... I'm gonna go run a marathon or you know throw up..." 

She pretends not to stay at his butt when he walks passed her on his way to the bathroom. 

She also pretends that she doesn't feel the odd mix of relief and disappointment when she notes that he's wearing the same clothes as yesterday. 

She calls Ann the second she heard the water running. 

~~~~~~

"Leslie, Leslie! Slow down. Start over." Ann had woken up to the sound of Leslie shout-whispering on the other end of the phone. She didn't full grasp how Leslie could be "so hungover she may be descending into the afterlife," and still get up before 7:00 am, but Ann had learned that it was better to not question her best friend. 

"April and Andy got married."   
Ann nodded, "Right you called me last night and tried to get me to stop it."   
"Ann please, I love you and your beautiful ambiguous ethnic blend but I need your mouth to not talk so loud. So April and Andy got married and they had a lot of alcohol."   
Ann grimaced, "Oh no, Leslie. Did you get wasted at a wedding? You became that guest?" 

Leslie opened her mouth and attempted to protest, "I what? Wasted? At a wedding? Me- well I would- Ann Meredith Perkins you even suggest-" Leslie's protests died off as she mumbled meekly, "So I got a little drunk. But it wasn't just me! Ben had too much to drink too and we were talking all night and laughing and he's moving to Pawnee, I think? I hope I didn't make that up. But the problem is I don't really remember what happened after the wedding and now I'm in Ben's hotel room and he's showering and I don't remember anything that happened and I'm so worried Ann help me." The last sentence came out rushed and in a slightly quieter tone.

"Well, I did get some interesting texts from you late last night, about Ben." Leslie could feel Ann's grin through the phone.   
Ever since Leslie made a very casual and very off hand comment about Ben looking cute at the Harvest Festival, Ann had been dying for Leslie and Ben to go out. Now it seemed that pulling the "we're just very new friends who happen to have a lot in common" card was not going to pass this time. 

And just because Ben was kind of (very) cute and liked watching historical documentaries and read the same political biographies as her and had a really nice butt did not mean she wanted to have drunken sex with him. In fact if she wanted anything Leslie wanted to have sober sex with him, then she'd at least remember it and- Leslie froze mid thought when she heard Ann speak, "Yeah, don't like-like him, my ass." Crap on a cracker she had babbled out loud. 

"Leslie, I love you. But you need stop being so stubborn! You obviously like Ben and you are sitting in his hotel room and I'd bet my entire life that he likes you too. Don't act like this is high school just go for it and ask him out, I'm sure he'd say yes!"   
Leslie groaned and whined, "A-Ann. This is not helping! Talk me out of this not into this!" 

Ann nodded and checked back at her texts from Leslie last night before returning to the phone call. "You're right. The only person capable of talking you out of this is yourself, I'll read you the texts you sent me." Leslie let out a breath of relief. 

Ann cleared her throat and began reading a string of text messages verbatim. "ANN!!! ANN!!!! BEN IS STAYING IN PAWNEE HE TOOK A JOB AS CITY MANAGER!!!!!" Ann paused to hear Leslie happily mumble something about being glad that part wasn't drunk dilutions. "ANN I JUST HELD HANDS WITH BEN TO ESCAPE FROM ORIN!!!!! HIS HAND WAS SO WARM ANN I THINK I WANT TO HOLD HIS HAND AGAIN. The next few are incoherent letter ramblings, I think you butt texted me? Is that even possible? The next one is really important though, you really need to hear this one." Leslie could hear the slight hint of sarcasm in Ann's voice, and frankly she didn't want to know what she was about to hear. 

"ANN I THINK I MIGHT LIKE BEN. SHOULD I KISS HIM? I KIND OF WANT TO. WE'RE SUUPER DRUNK THOUGH. DO YOU THINK I SHOULD GO HOME WITH HIM? IM FOLLOWING HIS BUTT TO MY DESTINY. GOOD IDEA RIGHT ANN?" Ann lowered her voice back into her normal octave, "All written in all caps with various spelling errors but judging from what I read I'd say there's a pretty high chance-" 

Leslie didn't hear the rest of what Ann had said because Ben was trudging out of the bathroom in his usual khakis and plaid shirt, but this time the skinny tie was loose around his neck and his shirt was buttoned only half way. Leslie's face went bright red and her eyes widened, she whispered a quick "gotta go Ann love you bye." Before hanging up and trying to avert her eyes. 

Ben scratched his head as he looked around the hotel room, pretty sure he was looking for his other shoe, but his hair ruffled at his touch and Leslie let out a barely audible squeak. Ben jumped, almost as if he'd completely forgotten she was there. 

They both apologized in unison. Rambling excuses that they just forgot or didn't notice. Leslie grabbed her purse and babbled about living to get ready for work, but scowled when she stood. Her Hungover headache having other plans. 

"Oh, crap on cheese-stick." Leslie scrunched up her face and squeezed her head between her hands. She caught a glimpse of Ben's smirk and heard him chuckle. "How do you manage to laugh when we're so obviously dying." Leslie croaked out while slowly making her way to the door. Deep down she knew she really needed to clear things up with Ben, but that could wait till she could speak without wanting to throw up. 

Ben shrugged and walked over to the door, holding it open for Leslie, "Showers make my hangovers bearable. I'll drive you home."   
Leslie nodded but her state was fixated at the ground, brow furrowed trying to remember anything from last night. 

Maybe Ben could read minds, or maybe she had said her private thoughts out loud again, but he answered practically every question the second she sat down in his car.   
"You wanted to sleep on the pavement of the parking lot. You were genuinely ready to fight me when I picked you up." He's smirking despite the pounding in his head. 

Leslie felt her cheeks get hot and she turned to look out the window, refusing to make eye contact.   
"I, what? Me? That drunk? Oh please- nope nope no siree," She paused for a moment to reconsider and then nodded, "No that definitely sounds like something drunk me would do..." Leslie furrowed her brow and bit her lip in concentration. So Ben carried her back to his hotel room. Back to his bed. Where she slept on his bed and Ben slept on the floor and-.

He slept on the floor. 

Leslie was pretty positive that if they'd had sex they would've been sharing a bed. 

There was a large portion of her that was relieved she hadn't had sex last night because, even if she didn't admit it to herself, she was certain boning with Ben is something she would want to remember in the morning. 

And last night she was far too drunk to remember anything and he had been a perfect gentlemen and didn't try a single thing. 

Leslie's heart fluttered.   
She glanced at Ben and felt herself smile, a soft and pleasant smile like she was seeing sunshine after a long rainy day. 

"What?"

Ben's voice snapped her out of her moment of metaphorical imagery. He was glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He looked confused and... Happy? Leslie couldn't exactly pinpoint the second emotion. It was definitely not a bad one though. 

"What, what?" Leslie raised her eyebrows and forced a painfully fake smile across her face.   
Ben quirked an eyebrow and turned into her driveway. The drive was shorter than she expected, she didn't expect to be back so quickly. 

"You're no good at being sneaky, Knope. Come on, what's on your mind."   
"What? Me? Nothing. Nothing is on my mind. Absolutely 0 thought. Why would anything be on my mind in the first place I mean of course I should be having thoughts, as any competent human being should. But that doesn't mean I also can't have nothing on my mind too. Maybe that makes me happy and Andy said last night that we should just do what makes us happy and-"

Leslie breath hitched and her babbling stopped the second she felt Ben's lips against hers. 

~~~~~~

She had been giving him a weird look the entire drive back to her house. 

Well not weird like bad weird, it was a nice weird. A different weird. Leslie kept glancing at Ben out of the corner of her eye like he didn't notice. Like he couldn't see the soft smile across her lips or the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. Ben was pretty sure it was some sort of chemical imbalance for a human being to smile so much when so painfully hungover. But then again, this was no ordinary human; this was Leslie Knope. 

Leslie Knope who had fought tooth and nail to save her department.   
Leslie Knope who had a very unhealthy sugar intake and sleep schedule and still managed to not keel over and die.   
Leslie Knope who risked it all to make the people of Pawnee happy.   
Leslie Knope who could do anything she set her mind to. 

And that Leslie Knope was currently looking at him like he had just given her the moon. He hadn't done anything and yet she was smiling at him with complete and utter joy. It just wasn't normal. 

They were almost to her house when he finally asked what was up. She wasn't sneaky, he knew something was on her mind. 

Then she started babbling.   
About thinking nothing and having thoughts all the same but doing whatever makes you happy. And that's what Andy said, "we should just do what makes us happy," and Ben didn't let her finish. If this was about doing what makes them happy than dammit he was going to do something he'd wanted to do since the day Leslie got over the flu. 

Her breath had hitched the moment his lips touched hers and he was tempted to pull away for a split second. Sudden fear that he made the wrong choice.   
But then he heard the soft moan. It was barely audible and would've gone unproved by most. But Ben heard it. 

Ben heard it and it was definitely doing more than making him happy. 

He felt Leslie's hands find his neck and then move up to his hair. Small fingers combing through his messy brown mop of hair. He let his hands rest at her jaw, letting his thumb softly glide against her cheek. Ben pulled away when he felt her smile. 

"I'm really glad we did that when I was sober so I could remember it." Leslie muttered while unbuckling her seat belt and reaching towards Ben in the driver seat. 

Ben's face broke into a grin, "Yeah?" 

Leslie pulled Ben closer by his tie, her other hand resting on his jaw. She only mumbled a soft "mmhhm," when she pressed her lips against his again.


End file.
